Tile-turning apparatus.



4 0 9 1 2 l Y L U J D E T N E T A P am Tu R N E H R D 4 Z 6 7 0 N TILETURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.30. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 NO MODEL.

i vitnesses No. 704,724. PATENTED'JULY 12, 1904. D. F. HENRY, JR. TILETURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.30. 1903. NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2v l -l nu.

No. 764,724. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

D. P. HENRY, JR. TILE TURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. 19034 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

Patented July 12, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

DAVID FORD HENRY, JR., OF PORT MURRY, NE'W JERSEY.

TILE-TURNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,724, dated July 12,1904.

Application filed December 30, 1903. Serial No. 187,178. (No model.)

To (0Z7 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LDAvID Form HENRY, J r. a citizen of the United States,residing at Port h lurry, in the county of \Varren and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTile-Turning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the manufacture of fireproofing and other hollow tile the molded formusually emerges from the die in a continuous horizontal stream and isthen cut into commercial lengths. In drying the tile preparatory toburning it is desirable to have the same stand on end or with theircells disposed vertically in order that the air may pass more readilytherethrough, and to accomplish this it is necessary to turn eachsection or tile from horizontal to vertical position. hen done by hand,this work is laborious and tedious,especially as the green orfreshly-formed tile are soft and easily distorted or broken.

One object of the present invention is to provide turning apparatuswhich shall be operative at the end of the cutting or delivery table ofthe tile-forming machine and adapted to receive the tile therefrom inhorizontal position and turn them to vertical position.

A further object is to so construct the apparatus that the same isoperative in connection with portable palettes upon which the tile aredeposited when inverted.

A still further object is to provide means for automatically removingthe tile-laden palettes from the turning mechanism, and the arrangementis preferably such that the palettes thus removed are positioned in thepath of conveying apparatus by which they are carried forward whereverdesired.

lVhile my improved apparatus is designed more especially for properlyarranging and delivering tile to my improved drier, shown and describedin Letters Patent granted me February 9, 1904, No. 751,852, it may beemployed in other connections, as will be understood.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improvedapparatus, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview of the palette-shifting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a verticalcrosssectional view on line 4 4: of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailview of the head or wheel for transmitting intermittent movement to thetile-turning mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail View of a portion of thegearing, taken on line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail view,

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the delivery-table of thetile-forming machine, (not shown,) and operative at the end thereof isthe tile-turning mechanism, which consists of a frame 3 of paddlewheelform axially mounted on shaft 4 and in the present embodiment carryingthe four radially-arranged tile-receiving boards 5, which are removablysecured to frame 3 by screws 5. Boards 5 are turned successively intothe plane of table 2, being sustained therein by spring 2 at the underpart of table 2, which the boards freely pass in moving to position.Frame 3 has feather connection 4: with shaft 4 and is slidable by handthereon transverse the end of table 2 to receive the tile in regularorder without lifting or carrying the same. The arrangement ispreferably such that three tile are turned at one time, though obviouslythe number may be varied.

6 is 'a palette which is removably positioned by hand at the rear ofeach board 5 and at right angles thereto, being supported by the thenuppermost portion of frame 3 and against which the tile are projected asthey are moved onto board 5, so that when turned the tile stand on endon the palette, and the latter is then removed from the turningmechanism in manner presently to be explained. It is desirable toapproximately center the tile on the palette, so that the latter may becarried by the conveying mechanism without tilting, and to accomplishthis with tile of different size the thickness of removable boards 5 maybe so varied that the tile will be sustained in position to be properlycentered on the palette when turned.

At each operation shaft 4: makes a quarterrevolution, and to accomplishthis intermittent movement a gear 7 is secured to one end of the shaftand meshes with pinion 7 on shaft 8, and loosely mounted on the latterare two sprocketwheels 9, which are driven by chains '10 from Thearrangement is such that at the proper moment the under traveling slat15 engages shoulder 14 then at the under side of head 13, and in doingso it passes over and is confined in said engagement by spring-latch 16.Shaft 8 is thus caused to turn with the chains until head 13 has turnedthrough a half-revolution, when slat 15 is released from its engagementtherewith by the pitch of the chain, as will be understood by referringto Fig. 5. Shaft 8 in making this half-revolution turns shaft 4 andframe 3 a quarter of a revolution, a distance sufficient to turn thetile and properly position them on the palette and with the latter atthe side of frame 3 opposite table 2 and ready to be moved from frame 3,as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and at the completion of saidmovement the other shoulder, 14, is in undermost position ready for thenext operation. Latch 16 provides for a positive connection between thedriving and driven elements and avoids an accelerated movement duringthe latter part of the operation which otherwise would be occasioned bythe weight of the tile being turned.

Adjacent the delivery side of turning frame 3 is the stationary support17, and slidable on the upper side thereof is transfer-table 18, fromwhich project the two arms 19, and with these arms extended frame 3 isadapted to turn therebet-ween and deposit thereon the tile-ladenpalette, the latter being longer than frame 3, so that its ends projectsufficiently to rest on said arms. On the upper side of table 18 areracks 20, and meshing therewith are pinions 21 on cross-shaft 22. Alsocarried by this shaft is sheave 23, upon which winds the weighted line24 when table 18 is retracted with the loaded palette, and when thusretracted the palette is positioned between the two vertically-movingconveyerchains 25, to which are pivotally secured the opposite lifts 26,which move upward under the projecting ends of the palette and carry thesame upward to drying apparatus (not shown) or wherever desired. Theconstruction of the chains and lifts is fully shown and described in mypatent above referred to. When thus freed of its load, the table 18 isagain extended by the unwinding action of weighted line 24, with arms 19projected and ready to receive the next palette.

To automatically retract the palette-laden table, a shaft 27 is gearedat 28 to drive-shaft 12 and carries sprocket 29, upon which operatessproeket-chai-n 30, the chain also passing around idler-sprockets 31 and32. The chain travels through or over a horizontal guide 33 immediatelybeneath table 18, and fixed to the chain is knocker 34, which is adaptedto engage lug 35 on the under side of table 18, and by this means thetable is retracted to position between the conveyer-chains, where it isheld against the pull of weighted line 24 by the weight of the tile.Lifts 26 are arranged at regular intervals on chains 25, and theoperations of the tile-turning and palette-shifting mechanisms are sotimed as to deliver a loaded palette to each pair of lifts. As thegreater part of the time is required to position the tile on the turningmechanism the latter must turn quickly, and the same is true of thepalette-positioning table 18. With the mechanism herein shown anddescribed these operations are accomplished regularly and withprecision, the whole being entirely automatic, save the placing of thetile on the turning device.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the severalimprovements, various changes and modifications may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim 1. The combination of tile-turning mechanism, a palette carriedthereby independently of the tile and adapted to support the tile whenturned,and a laterally-movable palette-receiving support distinct fromthe turning mechanism and adapted to remove the palette therefrom.

2. The combination of tile-turning mechanism, a palette carried therebyindependently of the tile and adapted to support the tile when turned, amovable support adapted to receive the tile-laden palette, and means forretracting the support and for returning the same to palette-receivingposition.

3. The combination of rotatable tile-turning mechanism, a palettecarried thereby and adapted to support the tile when turned, a movablepalette-receiving support having position normally in the path of theturning mechanism. means for retracting the support, and means forreturning the same to palettereceiving position. v

1. The combination of tile-turning mechanism, a palette carried therebyand adapted to support the tile when turned, a movable palette-receivingsupport having position normally in the path of the turning mechanism,means for retracting the palette-laden support, and means forautomatically returning the support to receiving position when relievedof its lead.

5. The combination of a sliding ware-support, means for holding the samenormally projected or in ware-receiving position, and an endless chainadapted to operatively engage the support for retracting the same.

6. The combination of tile-turningmechanism, a palette adapted tosupport'the tile when turned, a movable supportadapted to receive thetile-laden palette and remove the same from the turning mechanism, andmeans for automatically returning the support to palettereecivingposition when relieved of its load.

7. The combination of the sliding palettesupport, means for retractingthe support, a weighted line operatively connected to the support andconstructed and arranged to be raised when the support is retracted andoperating to return the support from retracted position.

8. The combination of tile-turning mechanism adapted to turn on ahorizontal axis, a palette adapted to be carried thereby and support thetile when turned, and a movable palette-support having arms projectinginto the path of the turning mechanism for receiving the tile-ladenpalette.

9. The combination of tile-turning mechanism adapted to turn on ahorizontal axis, a palette longer than the turning mechanism and adaptedto be carried thereby and support the tile when turned, and a movablepalettesupport having projecting arms between which said mechanism isadapted to turn and upon which the projecting ends of the palettes areadapted to rest.

10. The combination of tile-turning mechanism rotatable on a horizontalaxis and having a tile-receiving surface movable longitudinally of saidaxis, a tile-delivering table at one side of said mechanism, andtile-receiving means at the opposite side thereof.

11. The combination of tile-turning mechanism rotatable on a horizontalaxis, a tiledelivering table at one side of said mechanism, andtile-receiving means at the opposite side thereof.

12. The combination of tile-turning mechanism rotatable and slidablelongitudinally on a horizontal axis, a tile-delivering table at one sideof said mechanism, and tile-receiving means at the opposite sidethereof.

13. The combination of tile-turning mechanism, and laterally-movabletile-receiving means constructed and arranged to automatically receiveand remove the tile from the turning mechanism. 1

let. Tile-turningmechanism adapted to turn in a vertical arc and havinga movable tile-sustaining surface, and means adjacent said surface forremovably sustaining a palette at right angles thereto.

15. The combination of tile-turning mechanism, movable tile receivingmeans constructed and arranged to automatically receive and remove thetile from the turning mechanism, and actuating mechanism for causing theturning mechanism and tile-receiving means to operate intermittently andalternately.

16. The combination of tile-turning mechanism adapted to rotate on ahorizontal axis, tile-receiving means movable laterally with relation tothe turning mechanism and constructed and arranged to automaticallyreceive and remove the tile therefrom, and actuating mechanism forcausing the turning mechanism and tile-receiving means to operateintermittently and alternately.

17 The combination of tile-turning mechanism, constantly-movingactuating means, and projections on the latter adapted to automaticallyengage and disengage the turning mechanism for intermittently operatingthe same.

18. The combination of tile-turning mechanism, endless actuating means.adapted to move around the axis of said turning mechanism, and devicesat intervals on the endless aetuating means for engaging the turningmechanism and imparting thereto intermittent partial rotation.

19. The combination of intermittently-operating tile-turning mechanism,an actuatingshaft therefor, a head projecting from the shaft, twodrive-chains operative at opposite sides of the head,and slats securedto the chains adapted to engage and intermittently turn said head andshaft.

20. The combination of intermittently-operating tile-turning mechanism,an actuatingshaft therefor, a head carried by the shaft having radialprojections, two parallel drivechains operative on opposite sides of thehead, slats secured to the chains adapted to intermittently engage thehead projections and turn said shaft, and spring-latches operative inthe head for holding the slats in engagement with said projections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID FORD HENRY, JR.

WVitnesses:

MARGARET HUGHES, J. M. NEsBI'r.

